A corresponding circuit breaker device is known to the applicant from WO 2015/028634 A1. Upon the circuit breaker device being switched off, the bypass switch is opened first, wherein an arc ensues, and the current commutates to the semi-conductor circuit arrangement. Subsequently, the previously switched-on semi-conductor circuit arrangement is switched off and the isolating contacts for providing the galvanic isolation, which isolating contacts are connected in series to the bypass switch, are opened.
In the practical implementation of this concept in actual switches, the semi-conductor circuit arrangement was constructed in a conventional manner with IGBT power modules. In this respect, it has been found to be disadvantageous that in such switching devices high loads on the contacts of the bypass switch occur when a short-circuit current is switched off. Similarly, in these switching devices, the semiconductors of the semiconductor circuit arrangement are subject to high levels of stress, which limits the service life or the number of possible switching cycles.